Snow-handling machine



Jline I1, 1929.;

SNOW HANDLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l Q fizz 222202 $272221) fr/0 1/! zmzzioll June 11, 1929. A. w. SWANSON SNOW HANDLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet June 11, 1929. WANSON v 1.716.390

SNOW HANDLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet fiM? Wife/222521 Patented June 11, 1929.

entrenstares ARLO 'W'. SWANSON, F ALCESTER, SOUTH DAKOTA.

snow-Hruvnnnve MACHINE.

Application filed October 1, 1924. Serial No. 741,014.

My invention relates to snow handling inachines and particularly to a machine of this kind adapted among other things for cleaning snow from streets and highways.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of the kind mentioned of comparatively simple, durable and inexpensive and very effective construction.

One purpose of my invention is to provide such a machine, which forms in itself a unit that can be connected with the front of a truck or tractor, which furnishes the means for .advancing the machine over the ground, the machine, however, being provided with power for operating itsown mechanism.-

Another object is to provide in such amachine a conveyor and suitable means for breaking up and feeding snow to the conveyorx Another. purposeis to provide in such a machine a conveyor combined with a second conveyor with means for regulating the feeding of the snow to the second conveyor. 7

Still a further object is to provide in such a. machine a blower or blowers for discharging the snow at the side of the pathway being cleaned. I

In addition, itis my purpose to provide in a machine of the kind under consideration a number of adjustments and refinements in constructions hereinafter more fully I ex plained, which contribute to the effective op- Figure 1 shows a top or planview of. a

snow handling machine embodying my invention, parts of the blower pipe being broken away.

Figure 3 shows a similar line 33 of Figurel. 1 V

Figure l is a sectional view takenon the view taken on the line 4 -4 of Figurerl.

. mechanism of the machine.

Figure 2 shows a longitudinal, vertical, sectional viewtaken on the line 2+2 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4, illustrating some of the operating mechanism. Figure '6 18 a detail, sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

v Figure 7 is a detail, sectionaliview taken, 7

on the line 7-7 of Figure 4, illustrating the camstructure Figure 8.is a side elevation of the adjustable hood at the end of the blower pipe; and

Figure 9is a detail, sectionalvie'w taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 1. 4 1

My improved snowhandling machine has. its own supporting frame, so that it can be built as a unit and then suitably connected with the front of a truck, vtractoror the like.

The frame is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and comprises the spaced side members 10 arranged longitudinally of the machine, It will. be understood that the parts of my machine may be made of the material, shapes and sizes desirable for the purpose For the purposes of -illustration, T have shown the frame members 10 made of T-ironi' N ear their rear ends, the frame members 1 0 are connected by two cross frame members 1 j spacedfrom each other lengthwise of the ma- 1 e cnme.

Near their forward ends, the framemem bers 10 are connected by a transverse frame member 12, as shown in Figure 2- andfalso in Figure i. v

llountedon the frame members 11 at the: rear part of the main frame of my snowhandling machine is a power plant, such for instance as the internal combustion engine 13,

which supplies the'power for operating the The forward end of the frame is supported on. a pairof laterally spaced castor wheels 14. supported on and below thetransverse framemember 12. p

The forward ends of the frame member 10 carry .a transverse shaft 15. The operating vmechanism of my-machine is .pivotally supported on the shaft 15. I

' V The operative mechanism includes apair, of

upright side members 16 through the lower I portions ofwhich the shaft 15 extends. At

the forward endofjeach member 16 jisfixed'a disc 17 having aperipheral inwardly extend ing flange 18, as shown in Figure 4, and having on its inner face a cam groove 19. (See Figure 7.)

' A transverse shaft 20, illustrated in Figures 2 and 4-, is rotatably mounted in the discs .17. Fixed on the shaft adjacent to the re- I spective discs 17 are discs 21.

Slidably mountedin the disc members 21 are four spaced parallel shafts 22 on the ends of whichare rollers 23 which travel in the v cam grooves 19.

(See Figures 2, 4 and 7.) Pivoted 011 each shaft 22 is a snow pusher blade 24 extending substantially from one disc 21 to the other and preferably curved trated in Figure 2.

I It will be seen that as the discs 21 rotate, the pusher blades 24 will reciprocate in wardly and outwardly according to the travel of the rollers 23 in the cam slot 19.

Adjacent to each slot 25','a shield 27 is secured at its ends to the discs 21 and extends bet-ween said discs. These shields are arranged so that as the swinging edges-of the pusher blades 24 move inwardly, the shields will prevent inwardmovement of snow pastthe swinging ends of the pusher blades.

The means for rotating the shaft 20 carrying with it the discs 21 and rods 26 will be hereinafter more fully referred-to.

It will be noted, however, that as the discs 3 21 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Figure2, the cam slot'is'so shaped that the discs form pockets for picking up the snow at the lower forward portion of the de, vice, which snow is discharged atthe rear up.-

ward portion of the rotary device as the pusher blades move'outwardly.

There is provided a cover plate and pusher blade cleaner 29 at the lower rear part of the rotary device heretofore described, which is supported on the wall members 16 and'extends from apoint at therear of the rotating device below the middle thereof downwardly and forwardlyto position forwardly of the ver-' tical center through the rotating device.

The shield 29 is provided at its lower part with a series of shoes or runners 31 on which the device may slide on the pavement or ground. v

The snow is dischar ed from the rotary devicealready described upon an endless'carrierlater herein referredto. V

. It may be said, however, before leaving the rotarydevice that the'cam slot 19 is so arranged that the pockets are open to their deepest "depth when the respective shields 27 clear the forward end of'the shield 29 and the pusher blades 24 begin to move outwardly for discharging their load, as the snow passes over the top of the rotating device.

The pusher members 24 are at the outward limit of their movement when the rollers move from the point B of the cam slot until they reach the pointy C and as a result, each pusher blade 24 is scraped clean by the scraper or cleaner portion 30 at the upper rear edge of the shield 29. w I

As the rollers move from the point C to the point D, the'pusher blades move inwardly for opening the pockets to their greatest depth, and the pockets remain open until the rollers reach approximately the point E.

The snow is discharged from the rotary A substantially rigid shield and bottom member 37 covers the shafts 32 and 33 and eX- tends between them below the upper stretches of the, chains 36v and between the side members 16. Cross bars 3S'are secured to the chains 36 for carrying the snow rearwardly and upwardly along thebottom member 37 for discharge into the second conveyor hereinafter referred to. r i

Below the lower stretches of the chains 36,

a shield 39 extends betweenthe side members 16. Just rearwardly and below the discharge end of the conveyor just described, a transverse shaft 40 is mounted in the side walls 16.

The shaft40 is in a channel-shaped conveyor casing 41, shown for instance in Figure 4. r The rear wall of the conveyor easing -11 extends upwardly and over said casing as illustrated at 43 in Figure 2 to a line substantially above. and slightly rearwardly from the shaft 33;

Midway between the ends of the conveyor cas1ng41, the casing 18 formedwith aninwardly extending, rearwardly opening channel 4.4. in its lower portion, which practically divides the easing into two compartments.

On'the shaft 40 on opposite sides of the channel portione l are blades or arms 4-5, which are so arranged on the opposite sides of said channel portionas to convey the snow discharged into said compartments respectively to the left and to the right.

At each end of the conveyor casing 411, is a fan casing 46 'arrangedjust inside the walls 16. lVithin the fan casing 16, fan blades 47, shown in Figure 4 and in dotted lines in Figs are 2, are mounted.

The fan blades 47 are fixed to the shaft 40.

' nism of my snow handling machine.

On the shaft 54 of the engine 13 isloosely mounted a sprocket 55. On the shaft 40 within the channel 44 is a sprocket 56. (See Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7.) A chain 57 travels on the sprockets and 56 for transmitting motion from the sprocket 55 to the shaft 10. I will later describe the clutch member for, th sprocket 55. V

Located above the shaft 10 is a transverse shaft 58 supported between the fan casings and having thereon sharp-edged discs 59. On the shafts 10 and 58 are sprockets 60 and 61. (Figure 4;.) A chain 63 travels on the sprockets 60. and 61 and transmits rotation from the shaft 40 to the shaft 58.

On one end of the shaft 10 is a worm 62 which meshes with a worm wheel 63 on a shaft 64 outside the walls 16 and forwardly to the shaft 20.

The shaft 64 is journaled in casings 65 and 66 on one of the walls 16. The worm wheel '63 is retatably but nonslidably mounted on the shaft 6 1.

. member 69. Slidably mounted on the end of the shaft 6% adjacent to the clutch member 69 is a clutch member 7 O, which is actuated by a wire 71 sliding in a flexible casing 72. The flexible casing 72 and wire 71 are extended rearwardly and are supported at their rear ends by a plate 73, (see Figure 1), adaptedto be mounted on the truck or tractor 741 from which the clutches may be actuated.

The clutch structure just, described is illustrated in detail in Figure 6.

It will be understood that the clutch member is splined to the shaft 6 1 and has the head or end 77 to which the wirejYl is-fiXed. Receiving the end of the motor shaft 54is a casing member shown in Figure 1,.in

which is a clutch structure similar to that already described for connecting the shaft 54 and the sprocket 55thereon.

extending The shafts 10 and 33 areconnected by a 66 already described being shown in Figure 1.

The clutch wire operating casings 72 leading to the clutches for throwing the-sprocket 55 and the shaft 64.: in gear are shown in Figure 1, and are similar and used with similar clutches to that already described.

'I have provided suitableme'chanism.for

tilting the side frame members 16 and the parts connected therewith on the shaft 15 for raising and lowering the forward end of the snow handli-ngdevice, so that such end may be lowered while the machine is in operation and raised while it is being transported from place to place without being in operation.

' On the fan casing discharge pipes 49 are brackets 78 in which are slidably mounted rods or the like 79 having thereon collars 80.

The rods'79 extend downwardly and have formed on thelr lower ends rack bars 81.

Mounted on the rods 7 9 between the collars I Y 80 and the brackets 78 are coil springs 82. Therack bars 81 slide in guides 83 on brackets 84: supported on the frame members 10. A

transverse shaft 85 is supported on the brackets 84 and is providedwith pinions 86 meshing with the respective rack bars 81.

On the end of the shaft'85' is a crank ghandie 87 for actuating the shaft85. v For locking the shaft 85 in any adjusted position, I have provided the following. 7

means: Y I A locking pawl 88 (Figure 9) has an @1011 ated slot 89. Pins 90*are extended from the brackets 84 throu'glrthe slot 89 for'support-. mg the pawl 88 forvertlcal sl1d1ng movement below one of the pinions 86. On the pawl 88 a handle 91.

. In the lower part of the pawl 88 is a socket 92 receiving one end of a coil spring 93, the

lower. end of which is seatedas at'94 in the v bracket 8s for yieldingly holding the pawl 88 in its upper position for, locking the pinion 86 When it is desired to manipulate the crank handle 87 for rotating the shaft 85 for tilting the walls 16 and the parts supported thereby, the operator grasps" the handle 91 and lowers the pawl 88 to nonengaging position and then operates the crank 87.

For further controlling the feeding of snow I have provided at the-forwardend of the machine at the sides thereof, arms 96- projecting upwardly and forwardly from the side wall members 16. and supporting at their; upper ends substantially "above theshaft transverse rod 97.

' On the rod 97 areadjustably-mounted plurality of spaced collars 98' in whiclr are adjustably mounted downwardly and rear wardly extending rods 99, which serve to break up anylarge chunks of snow or to prevent the discharge to the endless conveyor of any chunks that are not so broken.

The arms 96 may be braced b braces100.

Pivoted to the upper forward edge of the portion 13 of the conveyor casing 11 is a shield or the like 101 extending across the machine from side to side between the walls .16 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. At itsforward edge, the shield 101 is connected with a transverse shaft or rod 102 extended through arcuate slots 108 in the walls 16.

Outside one wall 16, the shaft 102 has a head-104c shown in. Figure 1 and outside the other wall 16, there is secured onto the shaft 102 a nut 105, preferably of such size and shape as to be manipulated by hand, which can be tightened on the shaft 102 against the wall 16 for locking the forward edge of the shield 101 in various adjusted positions.

It will be seen that the shield 101 limits the amount of snow permitted to be carried to the extreme upper end of the endless conveyor and discharged therefrom. I

hen the operator of the machine 'sees snow begin to pile up over the shield 101,

he can readily determine that the truck or tractor should be driven more slowly until the conveyor arms or blades i and the blower fans can handle the snow supplied thereto.

The position-t0 be given the shield 101 must be determined by tie experience of the operator with different kinds of snow.

I willnow describe the means for connecting my snow handling machine with the trucker tractor 7 1. k

At the rear ends of the frame members are upright brackets 106 having vertically spaced, rearwardly extending ears orlugs 107, in which are mounted upright angular rods 108. Bracket members 109 are mounted on the rods 108 for vertical sliding movement thereon and extend rearwardly and have at v their rear endssocket members 110. 7 Fixed as on the trame of the tractor or truck 74 are brackets 111 having balls 112 at their forward ends received in the socket members 110.

The upper halves 113 of the socket niem-' members 111 as shown for instance in Fig-.

ure 1. II will now describe the practical operation of my snow handling machine.

'i It will be understood that the machine is 7 connected in the manner particularly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 with atractor or truck. The plate 73 is designed to be mounted on the lnstrumentboard or at any point suitable for theconvenience of the truck or tractor operator. v I

I have not particularly described the means for actuating the clutch operating wires 71 at their rear ends because such structure is well known and in. itself formsno part of my present invention. s

It will be seen that the means for connecting the snow handling machine with the truck affords considerable flexibility.

The snow handling device may tilt with relation to the truck on account of the ball and socket structure shown in Figure 3.

lVhen the machine is being propelled over theroad, and is not operating, the forward end thereof is tilted upwardly. This is ac comglished by lowering the pawl 81, shown in Figure '9, and operating the crank handle 87, shown in Figure 1, for, rotatin the shaft- 85 and the pinions-86 for pulling the rack bars 81 (Figure 2) downwardly. This, of course, may compressthe springs 115 (Figure 3) somewhat. j

When the place of operation is reached. the tilting operation is reversed and the front end of the snow handling mechanism is lowered.

In order to prevent the snow from getting under the rotary device hereinbefore described the shoes 31 can be held against the road with pressure by forcing the rack bars 81 upwardly until the springs 82(Figure 2) are compressed for exerting tension upwardly on the rear part of the snow handling device, and thus. pressing the forward part downwardly over the fulcrum formed by the shaft 15.

On account of the construction hereinbefore shown and the castor wheels 14, it will be seen that the snow handling mechanism will be steered according to the directionuof the niovementof the truck.

. The operator manipulates the proper clutch operating wire 7 for throwing the sprocket into gear with the shaft 5% (see Figures 1 and 3) whereupon the shaft 5 1 will rotate the sprocket 55 and thus impart motion to the chain 5'7, the sprocket 56 (see Figures 2 and i), and the shaft-4:0. The operator then operates the proper clutches for actuating the shafts 64c" and 64] (Figures 1 and 5) for thus imparting motion from the shaft 10 to the shaft 33 (Figure and to the shaft 20. The endless conveyor is thus put in move-- ment, and the rotary device at the front of the pockets formed by the pusherblad'es 2i and discs 21 fill with snow. As the pockets rotate upwardly, and rearwardly past the vertical center of therotary device, the pusher blades 24. are swung outwardly thus discharg- .rods until they drop downwardly or are broken. The snow dischar ed u ion the endb i 1 less conveyor 15 slid upwardly and rearwardly on the bottom member 37 by neans of the cross bars 38-and discharged into the conveyor casing d1. (See l igures 7 and 4.) The amount of snow fed over the discharge end of the endless conveyor is regulated by the shield 101, which can be adjusted by loosening the nut 105 and raising or lowering the forward end of the shield 101 and then tightening the nut 105 for holding the shield 101 in the desired position.

As the snow is discharged from the endless conveyor, the discs 59 on the shaft 58 cut it into comparatively, small particles. The snow is also divided into finer parts by the conveyor blades 45. on the shaft 40, which convey it respectively to the right and left to the fan casings 46 where the fan blades 47 pick it up and carry it bodily or blow it'to the discharge pipes 49 and 50. discharge pipes 50, the snow isblown to the side of the road. By adjusting the hoods 51, the snow can be blown downwardly into a ridge at the sides of the cleaned path or may be blown away laterally. I j

' The snow handling machine is a unit in itself and can be readily stored during the summer months. By making the machine in aself-contained unit, the'power plant which is used for advancing it is not made useless during the summer period. 0

It will be seen that even if the snow is deep, it can be handled without clogging the inachine by advancing the maclr 1e slowly and gradually taking the snow t as the cudless conveyor, the conveyor blades 15 and the blowers will handle it. if the snow is on the w d if) ground to only a shalloi'v depth, the niachiiu-i' I for cleaning paved roads especially in rural districts is obvious.

lt will'be understood that the particular structure, I haveshown here, so far as details are concerned, is illustrative and that many changes can be made in thedetails ofthe structure and arrangement of the machine,

and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of. structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within the spirit of my invention and the scope of my'claiins.

ment they form portions of a drum.

From the I claim as'my invention j 1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, discs. mounted at one end of said frame, a transverse shaft mounted in said discs, discs fixedon said shaft adjacent to said first discs, shafts mounted in said second discs, said first discs having in their adj acent faces cam slots, rollers on said shafts mounted in the second described discs and arranged to travel in said cam slots, a plurality of snow pusher blades extending between the second discs pivoted adjacent to the peripheries of said second discs and curved from side edge to side edge in the arcof a circle having its center in said firstshaft, said second discs having curved slots receiving the shafts mounted in thesecond discs, said blades being secured, to said shafts whereby when said first'shaft is'rotated, said second discs will be rotated for; causing said snow pusher blades to be alternately swung inwardly and outwardly to form pockets to receive snow and thento eject the snow therefrom, said blades being so arranged that when at the outer limit of their move? 2. In a machine of the class described, a

frame, discs mounted at one end of said frame, a transverse shaft mounted in said discs, discs fixed on said shaft adjacent to said first discs, shafts mounted in said second discs, saidfirst discs having in their adjacent faces cam slots, rollers on said shafts mounted inthe second described-discs and arrangedto travel in said cam slots,a plurality of snow pusher blades extending between the second discs pivoted adjacent to theperipheries of said second discs and curved from side edge to side edge in the arc of a circle having its center in said first shaft, said second discs having, curved slots receiving the: shafts mounted in the second discs, said blades being secured to said; shafts whereby when said first shaft, is rotated, said second discs will I be rotated for causing saidsnowpusherblades to bealternately swung inwardly and .out-' wardly to form pockets to-receive'snowand then to eject thesnow therefrom, said blades being so arranged that when at the outer limit of their movement they form portions of a drum, a cleaner arranged adjacent to the path of travel of the snow pusher blades and adapted to engage and clean them when they are at their outward limits of movement. 3. In a machine of the class described, aframe, discs mounted atone end of said frame, a transverselshaft mounted in said discs, discs fixed on said shaft adjacentto said first discs, shafts mounted insaid second discs, said firstdiscs having in their adjacent faces camslots, rollers on said shafts mounted in the second described-discs and, arranged to travelin said cam slots, a plurality of snow pusher blades extending between the second discs pivoted acent to the peripheries of said-second discs and curved from side edge to side edge in the arc of a circle having its center in said first shaft, said second discs having curved slots receiving theshafts mounted in the second discs, said blades being secured to said shafts whereby 'when said first shaft is rotated, said second discs will be rotated for causing said snow pusher blades to be alternately swung 1nwardlyand outwardly to form pockets to receive snow and then to eject the snow therefrom, said blades being soarranged that when at the outer limit of their movement they form portions of a drum, a cleaner arranged adjacent to the path of travel of the snow pusher blades'and adapted to engage and clean them when they are at their outward limits of movement, a shield extending from said cleaner to the bottom of said discs and provided with shoes.

4. In a machine of the class described, a

' name, discs mounted at one end of said.

frame, a transverse shaft mounted in said having its center in said first shaft, said second discs having curved slot-s receiving the shafts mounted inthe second discs, said blades beingsecured to said shafts whereby when said first shaft is rotated, said second discs'will be rotated for causing said snow pusher blades to be alternately swung inwardly and outwardly to form pockets to receive snow and then to eject the snow therefrom, said blades being so arranged that when at the outer limit of their movement they form portions of a drum,la cleaner arranged adjacent'to the path of travel of the snow pusher blades and adapted to engage and clean them when they are atvtheir outward limits of movement, a shield extending from said cleaner to the bottom of said discs and provided with shoes,there being four of said blades of such size that the four form four equal parts of a complete cylinder.

5 In a structure of the class described, a frame 74, a second frame secured at its'rear end at laterallyrspaced points to said first frame or limited vertical sliding movement,

having castor wheels under its front end, a i power plant on the second frame, a snow receiving and conveylng mechanism mounted on the forward part of the second frame for pivotal adjustment with relation thereto, and

means for actuatingthe mechanism from the power plant.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame, a snow handling mechanism mounted thereon having spaced, aligned, transverse means 0 eratin 'earin means connected with the shafts means for conveying snow to said casing operated from said shaft, said snow first being discharged onto said disks.

8. In a structure of the class described, a frame 74:, a second frame secured at its rear end to said first fram-e for limited, vertical, sliding movement and adapted to be moved horizontally by a movement of the first frame, castor wheels under the'front of the second frame, a power plant on the second frame, conveying means on the second frame, a fan casing communicating with said conveying means, a fan in said casing, a shaft for oper ating said conveying means and fan,'means for actuating said shaft from the power plant including a clutch structure, asnow receiving and handling element, a conveyor for carrying snow from the said last element to said first conveying means, means for'actuating said element and said last-described conveyor from said devices.

9. In a structure of the class described, a

frame 74, a second frame secured at its rear end to said first frame for limited, vertical,

sliding movement. and adapted .to be moved shaft, including clutch frame, a power plant on the second-frame,

for actuating said shaft from the power plant including a clutch structure, a snow receiving and handling element, a conveyor for carrying snow from the said'la st element to said first conveying means, means for actuating.

said element and said last-described conveyor from said shaft, lIlClLlCllIlg clutch devices, and

flexible control members connected with said clutch devices and extended into said first 

